Opinions of Monday, 12 July 2010

Columnist: The Royal Enoch

Ghanaians: Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Ghanaians, without a doubt, are very well educated. Almost everybody in the country knows how to read and write. But then, our ancestors were very read themselves. The White people, if they would tell the truth, came to meet a well read people upon their arrival on our shores. Otherwise, they--together with the Arab and the Asians traders, who frequently visited our shores, couldn't have traded with our ancestors. Mind you, before the Europeans assaulted the African continent, which--by the way, led to the mass transportation of war prisoners to the Americas and the Caribbean--Arabs, Asians, and some good-hearted Europeans were already trading with our ancestors. Therefore, the propagated notion that Africans were some sort of illiterate people with no sense of culture is utterly misleading. Better yet, it's a myth--which the racist White people created to dehumanize Africans. In fact, prior to the assault of the war-mongering Europeans on the African continent, Africans were far ahead in terms of development and culture. We had an education system, which was very sophisticated, worldly, and African. It had its roots in our African traditions, languages, cultures, and spirituality.

Also, prior to the European assault, the African continent--with its various King and Queendoms, were very well organized. In Ghana, for instance, the Ashanti Kingdom was so well managed that its popularity grew. Of course, the power of this rich Kingdom laid in its organization and management. You see, all the future Ashanti kings and Queens weren't only trained to become defenders of the Kingdom--they were also trained in service, economics, and management. Before the Europeans came in with their alphabets and numbers, our ancestors were using symbols to write and read. These various symbols were effectively applied to achieve several means. Some of these symbols, for instance, were applied to predict the future--others do the maths. Some were used to communicate ideas and thoughts in writing, whilst others were applied to manipulate nature. At one stage in time, the whole world was using symbols--not only our ancestors. The Chinese had their own--the Indians had their own, and the Arabs had their own as well. Later, the English alphabets and letters became popular, when England became a world super-power to reckon with. Prior to the English global domination, the English people--whose ancestors spoke Latin, used Roman numerals to run their everyday affairs.

Sadly, after the Europeans assaulted the African continent, almost all things African became European. Our African spirituality gave way to an European theology called Christianity. The genesis of organized religion on the African continent. Remember, religion and spirituality are not the same. Our ancestors were very spiritual people--they believed in the mystics. The racist Europeans, on the other hand, were religious. And they had the nerve to call our ancestors atheists. Simply because; our ancestors knew of a God who created--but not of their blue eyes, blond hair Jesus. In fact, the wrongs, losses, and destructions, which befell Africans after the Europeans assaulted the African continent, cannot be denied. We have yet to fully recover from the damage--which was done unto us. The African symbols, which functioned as tools for education, higher knowledge, and communication--were destroyed. As consequence, the English alphabets and numbers came in their place. Also, the English language became our official language. Thus, relegating our own languages and dialects to the back seat. What also could be said is that after this assault most Africans became Afropeans. A short term for African-Europeans. Now, the characteristics of an Afropean are many, but I would mention a few. To begin with, an Afropean prefers the handiwork of an European to his/her own. In his/her mind, everything from the West is the best.

The White man is superior--so is everything that he (the White man) does or makes. At least, this is what the Afropean believes. As a result, the Afropean prefers that his/her children be schooled abroad--amidst White people. When an Afropean is sick in Africa, he/she would go all the way to Europe, or somewhere foreign to seek medical attention from a White doctor. Last but not least, the Afropean thinks that he/she is clever, when he/she could speak and write an European language fluently. Sometime ago, somebody asked me; why are we Africans still struggling with all our resources? My answer was; before the colonization of the African continent, Africans weren't suffering. Further, Africans weren't crossing the ocean in search of a better life. Inferiority complex amongst Africans was something unheard of. In comparison to now, Africans had it very good. The continent wasn't starving--its problems less. Africans were managing their own affairs--and very well. So, exactly what happened after the colonization? Well, after the colonization of the African continent, it's problems became too many to count. Now, let's ask ourselves this question; how did that happen? How come that Africans weren't starving, or crossing the ocean in search of a better life before the colonization-but, all of a sudden, began packing up right after the colonization? What exactly happened during the colonial reign, which disabled us from doing what we were always capable of? In short, what did the racist Europeans do to us?

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